


Wiggle Room

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [220]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 07:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20702051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: The Jaffa patrol takes them by surprise on the way back to the Stargate.





	Wiggle Room

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Wiggle Your Toes Day’ (6 August). Set during season 7. Angst.

The Jaffa patrol takes them by surprise on the way back to the Stargate. Within seconds, shots are being exchanged across the deserted village square and the smell of smoke and stench of blood and death fill the air.

The colonel shouts orders over the sound of staff blasts and gunfire and the team are able to hold the enemy off long enough until they find cover on the outskirts of the clearing. It isn’t much; a broken stone wall, a large wooden barrel, a fallen tree, but it is all they have right now. The battle continues to wage – for five minutes or fifteen – Sam isn’t sure but she is acutely aware that she and her team are quickly running out of ammo. The enemy also has a few more numbers on their side, but after the colonel hits one of the patrol and Teal’c takes out another, it starts to feel like they are reaching a stalemate. Neither side appear to be gaining the advantage.

Sam risks looking up and re-counts the Jaffa left before she inserts a new clip into her gun. She glances again and pauses, realizing there is one now missing. There were definitely seven Jaffa moments earlier. Now, there’s only six.

Suddenly, movement out of the corner of her eye draws her attention and she catches sight of the breakaway warrior looping back towards where her commanding officer and Teal’c are situated. She signals across the square and they nod in confirmation; they’ve also spotted him and are just waiting until one of them has a clear line of fire. A staff blast then whizzes past her head and Sam ducks back behind the old, crumbling stone wall. Taking a deep breath, she prepares to return fire to buy her teammates a little breathing space but as she spins around, everything appears to slow down and speed up at once.

She hears the snap of a twig to her left, like a bullet that’s been fired through the silence and it’s followed by the unmistakable crackle and charge of a staff weapon powering up. Sam also hears the colonel’s yell coming from her right, but it comes just a second too late.

Pain consumes her. A searing heat encompassing her entire body and she feels paralyzes as everything shifts around her. She’s hot and sore and suddenly unable to breathe.

She not sure how long passes before she hears someone crying out and then she realizes it’s _her_ and she tries to stamp down on her confusion and panic and fear so as not to draw any more attention to herself than she already has. She closes her eyes, hoping to pass out so the pain will end. 

When her head lolls to the side, she doesn’t see the way the colonel’s anger and panic suddenly meet and combine and surge, and he executes one, two, three Jaffa with a single shot in quick succession and she doesn't hear how he orders Teal’c to cover him as he runs across the clearing to be by her side.

There’s tears escaping and leaving a trail down her face, washing away the dirt and grime from the battle, but she doesn’t care. Even though she knows it’s useless, she still tries to block out the pain, tries to ignore the fear that’s now filling her veins because she’s scared. She's picked up her fair share of injuries over the years but this – this feels different.

Because aside from the pain, she can’t feel _anything._

“Sam? _Sam!_ Can you hear me?”

She can hear him but she isn’t sure if she answers because she doesn’t think she can. Her body and mind don’t seem to be cooperating with what she wants to do.

“C’mon, Carter.”

She feels a warmth on the side of her face and forces her eyes open. Nothing is quite in focus but she can just about make out her commanding officer staring down at her in concern, his hand cradling her cheek. Her eyes drift closed again and it’s only when the weight of his touch increases, that stops her from giving in to the darkness.

_“Major,”_ he barks and her eyes snap open to meet his, but she isn’t able to decipher anything else he says. His gaze shifts then, and she swears he pales. "Hold on just a little longer for me," he says, his thumb grazing her cheek before he disappears out of her line of sight.

So, she closes her eyes again and tries to focus on something, anything, to keep her grounded and stop the panic from consuming her.

But there’s nothing. There are no battle sounds, no smells. But she thinks her pain is starting to lessen, so maybe if she tries to move –

The sudden, soft tap of fingers against her cheek has her prising her eyes open and staring at her commanding officer. Her vision swims as he brushes a strand of hair away from her eyes but she catches sigh of his hand, covered in blood, and she knows something is very, _very_ wrong.

“Easy, Carter,” he murmurs. “Teal’c’s given you the good stuff, but I need you to do me a favor before we can get out of here.”

It takes her longer than usual to process the words and before she responds, he’s nodding, as if he’s heard her thoughts.

“I need you to try and wiggle your toes.”

She frowns at his request and wonders just when he removed her boots because why else would he be looking at her feet? That, and when he removed her boots, because she didn’t feel a thing.

Realization hits her. _Hard._

“Sam,” he says, waving his fingers in front of her face and she tries to focus. “Wiggle your damn toes.”

She tries but she can’t feel anything and when the colonel’s expression hardens, just infinitesimally, she knows she’s been unsuccessful in her attempts. Panic swells and blooms and she can’t fight the tears anymore.

“It’s alright, Carter,” he soothes, placing a hand on her shoulder, but the tension ripples off him in waves. “We’re gonna get you home.”

When she opens her mouth to try and answer, he abruptly shakes his head.

“You need to rest,” he says quietly, “but don’t fall asleep on me, OK?”

“I’m scared,” she finally manages to whisper as she swallows another round of tears.

“Yeah,” she hears him whisper, “me too.”


End file.
